As the Internet becomes integrated into almost every aspect of human life, the diversity of devices that accumulate information is growing. Both input and output devices (such as light bulbs and thermostats) are being connected to networks, including the Internet, and added to everything from cars to packing slips. Such devices typically transmit and receive a small amount of information and employ a number of techniques to communicate with data repositories. For example, devices may be wired to a network to communicate with a server, establish a short range communication transmission with other devices such as through infrared or Bluetooth communication, communicate through a local WiFi network using a standard port such as port 21, 25, or 80 of the TCP/IP protocol, or connect to a cellular communication system.
Each of these communication techniques may include special setup such as attaching wires, providing a specialized transmitter/receiver within a short range of the device, or having network authorization such as, in an open network, using a router configuration to allow access or authorization information such as a password. In addition, some of these communication techniques may include significant overhead, such as initialization handshakes, transmission verification, and bulky, complicated or expensive hardware, while others have very limited range and are unreliable. As the number and distribution of these devices increase, and as the size of these devices decrease, these limitations present a barrier to communication and increased insecurity.